Telenor Norway announced that it will shut down the 3G network in order to provide an even better service on its 4G network.
The phase-out work will begin in 2019 and will be completed in 2020. The 3G network operates on two frequencies: The 900 frequency, which will be phased out county-by-county in 2019, is used in smaller areas and villages. The rest of the 3G network, which covers cities and larger towns, will be phased out during 2020.
For many of Telenor’s private and business customers, this means that phones, tablets and other devices and services that use the 3G network must be replaced, said the Operator. This applies to those with 3G equipment (wildlife cameras, etc.), outdated SIM cards and people who are unable to activate 4G Calling on their mobile phones.
Anyone with a 3G mobile who uses it to browse the Internet will no longer be able to connect by any means other than 2G. This will result in a significant speed reduction. Those with 3G mobiles and 4G mobiles that do not support 4G Calling will be affected. Following the closure of the 3G network, 3G mobiles will automatically connect to the 2G network. This will result in longer connection times of around 15 seconds and the potential for poorer call quality. If you have a wildlife camera, a heating system controlled by phone or other M2M equipment (machine to machine) that requires or only supports 3G, you will experience slow connections or your equipment will no longer work.
Bjorn Moen, Acting CEO, Telenor Norway
In order to make way for solutions of the future, we are initiating the phase-out of 3G next year.
